The field of the present invention is means for generating hot gas.
Since at least as early as World War II when the German V-2 rocket employed hydrogen peroxide in combination with permanganate as catalyst to run a turbine, the concept of rapidly converting hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen for use as a source of hot gases has been known and used. More recently, a land speed record vehicle employed a permeable mass of catalyst in the form of silver screens through which hydrogen peroxide was forced. The steam and oxygen created by this process was then used as a pure rocket to drive the vehicle to several hundred miles an hour. However, difficulties exist with the use of hydrogen peroxide because of its rather unstable nature when found in substantial concentration. Consequently, this substance has found little utility in more mundane uses for creating such a high temperature, pressurized gas.
The resulting products from the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide are water and oxygen. These products are advantageously harmless to both the environment and humans. Thus, use of such a source in confined or controlled areas does not present a problem from the standpoint of the generated exhaust.